Lilies Grow with Sun, Rain, and a Bit of Magic
by LoneStorm
Summary: "Meet my arch-nemesis, James 'I-think-I'm-the-gift-to-man-and-womenkind' Potter." " 'My arch-nemesis? At least I'm a 'my' something to you, Evans. By the end of this year, it will be 'my boyfriend'." "In your nightmares, Potter." Lily's side of the story from first year, skipping a few, then through the mad tale of Marauders, Hogwarts, life, and the infuriating James Potter.
1. Prologue

Prologue 

I wasn't quite sure that being the strangest thing that ever happened in our small town was actually a positive after my sister began to hate me.

Of course, every eleven year old would be fascinated and excited when they were told that they were magical and could go to a school where you could learn spells, potion making, and magical creatures, but being a witch didn't, at first, turn out well.

Back in the day, I only knew that witches were thing of folklore, scary tales and decorations for Halloween, or an insult to a particularly nasty person. Being called one by Severus Snape was rather bewildering, the look on his face not even the least bit threatening as he said it, and when I hadn't done anything wrong besides. Now, I knew that being a witch was simply unique, the more and more Severus told me about it, but Petunia didn't agree with me on that idea. I could tell by the way she ignored me and made fun of Severus.

"She's just jealous," he assured me one day, while we lay beside the small pond, counting the birds that flickered into sight through the leaves of the maple trees. "She's jealous that you're special and she's not."

"That's mean, Severus," I defended instantly, but I couldn't keep up my frown when I saw his shameful brown eyes.

The bubbling excitement as the school year drew nearer swirled around my stomach so often that I took to sitting in the park with Severus for a larger portion of each day, talking animatedly about every aspect of the wizarding world and pouring over wizard history, creature, and spell books, some from the ones I'd gotten in Diagon Alley a short time ago. Severus kept sneaking me more books from his parent's collection, an amused, yet shy smile on his face whenever he saw my ecstatic expression.

"This one is on potion making," he told me on a day about a week and a half before September, showing me a thick, black, dusty volume. "My mum is very good at it, and there are so many things you can brew up. Look, here's one where you can change your appearance to someone else…"

We were sure to keep to our quiet area on the woods on these occasions, so that the Muggles, as they were called, didn't hear us. In a world of these Muggles, it was Severus that made me feel as if I wasn't alone.

But I knew it didn't matter; I would be off to Hogwarts soon, and I would be surrounded by people like me, with a wizard friend at my side.

* * *

**Hey guys! **

**Excited for this one: first story. Please R&R, munchkins! **

**I PROMISE it will get more and more funny/exciting/JILY/Mauraderness as it goes along, because this entry is so boring, but it is an intro, so. **

**The story will go quickly through her first few years and slow down from around fourth to seventh year. It will end with Harry. :) **

** Stay with me; it will get better, I promise. I want to set the scene nicely before I get going, though.**

**~LoneStorm**


	2. Chapter 1

I had underestimated the size of King's Cross Station.

Everything was tall. Pillars. Trains. Windows. People. I pushed my trolley with difficulty in front of me, but my father, smiling kindly, took the handle bar in one hand and my hand in the other, helping me along. After I returned the smile gratefully, I bit my lip, looking at my orange and white kitten that I'd bought at Diagon Alley, Peach, in his cage. I hoped he wouldn't get too bumped around, but I doubted that he would mind. He was not like other cats; always gentle, always cheerful, always looking for someone to be pet by. More like a dog. A small, fluffy, meowing dog.

Tuney had been silent the entire car ride, and was now still stony, arms crossed and staring determinedly away from me. I tried to ignore this, shoving my focus towards the school year ahead, filled with magic, adventure, new friends, and my old best one, Severus. That would be better than any year spent at home with my sister… right?

"There it is," said my mother, frowning. "Platform nine and ten. How did the man say to get in again?" She was referring to the nice man that had explained about my magic and Hogwarts a few months ago. Only months? It seemed years since I'd known I was magical. Years since I'd been waiting for Hogwarts…

I pressed my lips together uncertainly. "He said to run into the middle pillar. That we would go straight through."

Tuney muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like, _"Rubbish."_

Nevertheless, my father handed me back my trolley and said, "Being the wonderful gentlemen that I am, I shall try it first."

He went closer as I watched excitedly. Checking to make sure no one was watching him, he touched his toe to the brick. It vanished, and when he pulled back with a muttered exclamation, it was still there, on his foot. Drawing a deep breath, he casually walked right into it. Right. Through. The. Brick. Wall.

An eager sound that was probably a laugh bubbling up from my throat, I snatched the trolley and launched forward after him. Right through, I sunk right through the wall. And out came I into a sunlit station where sat grandly a magnificent, scarlet steam engine.

All sorts of people, robed or dressed in Muggle clothes, ran, wandered, struggled with large trolleys, hugged their families, and enthusiastically greeted their friends. In a daze, I stared around, letting my mother and sister catch up to my father and I. My parents instantly huddled together, excited, talking quickly. They didn't notice Tuney and I falling slightly behind; even she couldn't help but stare around, amazed.

As I watched my sister, my throat caught; I realized that I wouldn't see her 'till the next summer. I'd never been so far apart from her. Mum. Daddy.

And she hated me.

I couldn't help but turn to her, try again. She was my sister, and I could never stop loving her, no matter how much she'd want me to stop. "Listen, Tuney, I just want to say..."

Petunia looked disgusted, her nose wrinkling upward, like I, her sister, was a squashed worm stuck to her shoe. I pleaded, "I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen-" I grabbed my sister's hand, as if I was holding on to the love my sister may never return to me again. "Maybe once I'm there – no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

She tried to pull her hand away with five despairing syllables: "I don't – want – to – go!" Her glare made me shrink slightly as we followed slowly behind our parents. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a – a –" Petunia surveyed the scene once more, and I realized how she may not find it amazing, but scary. Her eyes turning back to me, she whispered, "- you think I want to be a freak?"

A pain spread deep from my chest, burning my eyes with tears. "I'm not a freak. That's a horrible thing to say."

"That's where you're going," she said viciously. "A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy… weirdoes, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."

I glanced at my parents, hoping weakly that they would defend me, but they were looking around in wonderment still, leaving me to my hurt, which turned into ferocity as I shot back, "You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you."

To both my guilt and satisfaction, her face turned as scarlet as the steam engine as she protested, "Beg? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply. It was very kind," I said.

Petunia sputtered, voice not above a whisper, "You shouldn't have read – that was my private – how could you –?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted who I'd been subconsciously looking for – Severus. He was walking, hunched, by his sour-looking mother and father, glancing around like he couldn't wait to get away from them and on that train. I breathed out in relief at seeing a familiar face that could be with me along the way. That wouldn't hate me. I heard my sister gasp.

"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!" she accused, fire in her eyes.

"No – not sneaking – Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all!" I defended. "He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of –"

"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" Petunia snapped, now pale, and I thought in frustration what a hypocrite she was. She poked her nose through fences just to see what the neighbors were doing, and she had spied on Severus and me before. Before she stepped into pace innocently by our parents, she spat at me, face contorted, "_Freak_!"

The fiery energy that had kept me going was now dwindling away into my misery, weighing down my steps behind my family so that I didn't even bother to keep up. While being shoved into a new world, I'd just lost my foundation to the old.

The urge to cry became harder as my parents hugged me goodbye, Tuney ignoring my existence completely. My mother asked me the usual motherly questions, if I had extra sickles, knuts, and a few galleons, if I'd remembered the sandwiches that she'd packed. Dad hugged me hard and made me promise to write him by owl post every week.

The conductor began to call us aboard. Mum and Daddy smiled at me one last time. "Have fun, try hard, and we love you," Mum told me, kissing my cheek. Daddy said nothing, but stroked my bright red hair before helping me and my trunk and cat onto the train.

I couldn't move as the train pulled away, watching my family fade into the distance, my sister staring at some other part of the station indifferently, as if I was of no importance to her.

"Do you mind me interrupting your most important session of watching the grass grow? I have places to go, people to see, Red."

I spun around to see a scowling, extremely messy black haired, hazel eyed boy, my age, standing a bit taller than me, impatiently tapping his foot while balancing his trunk against his leg. The boy seemed to be like something of the boy crazy girls at my old school would giggle about, as he was rather handsome for his age, but I had never been one to care or judge about looks. He was leaning against a compartment casually, his robes on, hanging loosely from his elbows, but white shirt unbuttoned at the top and untucked. As he saw my face redden, the scowl faded into a grin, much too cocky for my taste.

"You're blocking the train, you know," he repeated.

As I turned and began to tug my trunk along, I couldn't help but mutter, "You're being an arse, you know."

A torrent of laughter swept behind me, in that same boy's arrogant voice. "What did you say?"

I huffed out. It had been a long morning. I was sad. I was frustrated. I was trying to pull a heavy trunk. I was scared. I both didn't and did want to see Severus. I was about to cry. Therefore, I didn't give a care to enforce the politeness that I'd been taught all of my life when I drew myself up and said hotly, "I said that you're being an arse, and if you don't get that stupid smirk off of your face, I will smack it off myself."

He blinked. Then he and another boy directly behind him, whom I hadn't noticed, pretty with dark hair and eyes, began to laugh so hard that they doubled over. Grinding my teeth, I stomped off to find a compartment, clutching the handle to my trunk in one hand and my cat's basket in the other. Walking along with my trunk sounded like a pirate with a peg leg, _cahhhhhhthunk, cahhhhhhhthunk, cahhhhhhhthunk…_

"Do you need some assistance with that, little Spitfire?" asked the same amused voice behind me.

"No," I said shortly.

"I think you do."

"Not from the likes of you," I spat. Though I'd met him about a minute ago, I could no longer stand his presence.

When I glanced back for a glare, he was holding his hands up in surrender. "It was only a gentlemanly thing to offer."

"I highly doubt that you are gentle, much less a man," I grumbled, tugging my trunk along further.

"You have a fair point. Here." To my outrage, he simply plucked away my handle and maneuvered around me, hoisting his own bags along with mine.

Grasping my kitten's basket more tightly, I stormed after him. "Hey! You can't just –"

"Lassie, I think he just did," sniggered the boy that had been behind Mr. Arse.

Letting out an exclamation of frustration, I followed Mr. Arse to where he was already lifting my trunk into a rack, then doing the same with his on the opposite sides. He tried to make it look like it was easy, but due to the fact that he was only eleven, I knew it must not have been. I muttered a quick 'thank you' and sat down as close to the window as possible.

Thankfully, the boys ignored me, but that also took away my diversion. Soon, tears were rolling quickly down my face. I tried in vain to focus on the boys' conversation, or the rolling hills streaked with golden sunlight out my window, but all I could see was Petunia's snarling face, all I could hear was her shout of _'Freak!'_.

But through attempted distraction, I learned that the dark haired, dark eyed boy that had called me 'lassie' was called 'Sirius', like the star, which, venomously, I thought was a stupid name. Mr. Arse's name was James, and I thought that name was stupid too, only because it belonged to him.

While my mind was running through my argument with my sister, the door to the compartment opened again, and in stepped Severus, dragging his beaten trunk behind him. He was already changed into his robes, with a maniac energy glowing around him. I only paid him a glance before I looked back out the window, remembering both that I was angry at him and that my eyes were probably red and puffy.

"I don't want to talk to you," I managed when he sat down across from me.

Hurt flashed quickly in his brown eyes. "Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me," I said heatedly through more tears. "Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

He was rewarded with the most disgusted scowl of the day, even worse than the one I shot at James. "So she's my sister!"

I wiped the tears from my eyes, not listening to what he was saying until his voice became exhilarated. "But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

Unable to help myself, I offered a half smile, pushing my palm across my cheek.

Severus smiled back, and I knew he was trying to make up from before when he said in a hopeful tone, "You'd better be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin?"

I groaned inside. The boys had become aware of our existence.

James snorted in laughter, that stupid smirk still evident on his face. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James addressed the boy called Sirius, who was slumped with a casual, lounging grace on the opposite seat.

This time, Sirius did not mirror the grin. "My whole family has been in Slytherin."

"Blimey," said James, shocked, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

Finally, the grin was returned. "Maybe I'll break the tradition." Twirling a strand of loose thread on his robes in what he made into an elegant way, he raised his eyebrows at James. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James made a motion with his hand, and I soon realized that he was holding up an invisible sword. "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

Severus across from me rolled his eyes, making an exasperated 'humph' under his breath. At this James narrowed his eyes.

"Got a problem with that?"

It seemed, from where I was sitting, that Severus did, though he said, "No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius cut him off, looking at Severus smugly and amused.

James' laughter rang through the compartment. I was blushing in frustration again, and pulled my trunk from where James had shoved it. Picking up my kitten's basket, I said, with clenched teeth, "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…"

I stalked out, ignoring the boys' ridiculous imitation of my voice, which was much too high. Severus, embarrassed and angry, walked out after me, and I could have sworn that they'd tried to trip him as the called out after him, "See ya, Snivellus!" Their door slammed.

"Honestly," I fumed. "I don't care what house I'm in as long as those two aren't in it."

"Agreed, but preferably Slytherin," Severus muttered, head hanging.

"Don't let those pricks get to you, Sev," I said firmly. "We're off to Hogwarts!"

My friend began to smile again. "You're right."

We found a compartment five doors down from the previous, where sat two girls and boy that seemed to be our age, talking amicably. I nodded to Severus, confirming that I thought it was safe. Sliding the door a few inches open, I said hesitantly, "Can we sit in here?"

The girl closest to the window was quite pretty with chocolate, curly brown hair and shining blue eyes set over a small, button nose. She was dressed in a bright yellow sundress. I was simply in blue jeans and a green shirt; I'd never been girly, and wasn't fond of dresses or skirts.

The other beside her had _her_ thinner nose buried in a thick book, and didn't even look up when the door was open, her intelligent grey eyes glued to the page. The girl was already in her robes like many of the students aboard the train. The only motion I saw her make other than her eyes moving left and right was push black hair that was in a messy bun away from her face and absently stroke the small owl that sat beside her.

The boy had caramel colored hair and looked rather shabby, Hogwarts robes hanging off of him in a way that made me wonder if he were sick. But his brown eyes that were slightly covered by his hair were warm and an air of calm rested around him.

The brown haired girl smiled and bounced in her seat. "Of course!"

Severus and I smiled in thanks and pushed our trunks up onto the racks. I took a seat beside the book girl while Severus sat rather far from the boy, almost fearfully. After I'd taken Peach from his basket and he curled up, purring, in my lap, the girl with curly brown hair held out a hand to me across the other girl's book, which didn't seem to faze her. "I'm Mary MacDonald. I just met him as well," she said, gesturing to the boy, "and his name is Remus. Remus Lupin, isn't it?"

The boy nodded, smiling slightly. "That's right."

After I'd shaken her hand I took his, saying, "I'm Lily. Lily Evans. The quiet one over there is my friend, Severus Snape."

Severus waved a little, murmuring, "Hello," with a blush.

They both offered him a smile, and then stared at the girl that was reading, expecting her to introduce herself, but Mary sighed, elbowing her. "Marlene," she murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

"Huh?" She looked up, and jumped. "Oh! Hello. I'm Marlene McKinnon. Who are you?"

I repeated our names, and she said, slightly distracted by her book again, "Pleasure to meet you."

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"_Hogwarts, a_ _History_. So many interesting things I should know…" she answered, already fading back into the pages.

Losing hope in getting more words out of Marlene, Mary asked us, "Have any of your families ever been to Hogwarts? I simply love hearing the stories. It will be wonderful to create our own, won't it? I can't wait to learn Charms…"

I shook my head. "I'm Muggle born. This would have been all new to me if I hadn't met Severus. He told me all about everything."

Remus and Mary looked to him, and he seemed to have gained some courage. "My mum went there. She was quite good at potions."

"Do enchanted staircases really move there? I haven't got a copy of _Hogwarts, a History_, Marlene doesn't seem to hear my requests for these facts, and I think Remus might be teasing me. I'm a Muggle born too, you see," Mary said, casting an accusing smile at the boy across from her.

"Oh there are," Severus confirmed. "And ghosts, secret corridors, moving and talking pictures…" he trailed off dreamily.

"And feasts," Remus added. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry. I wish the trolley would come soon." He looked out the compartment door hopefully. I wondered what kind of food was on the trolley.

Mary giggled. "So, Remus, which of your parents went to Hogwarts?"

"Both," Remus answered, tearing his eyes away from the corridor. "They both had a Muggle parent, so I'm not a pureblood, but I've been looking forward to this my whole life. I'm lucky that I even get to go…"

"Why is that?" I asked.

Remus suddenly turned pale. "Well, ah, my mother is quite ill, but they're letting me go once a month to see her…"

"Oh," said Mary with a frown. "I'm very sorry. Will she be okay?"

"Eventually," said Remus, looking at his trainers. "It is going to be a very long recovery, though."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Severus, interested.

"Severus!" I scolded for asking such a personal question.

He flushed. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Wasn't thinking."

Remus smiled that small smile again. "That's alright." He rubbed his hands together as if cold. "Do you all know about the houses?"

We all said that we did, and I laughed. "We left our last compartment because some boys were giving us a hard time about that. Nasty little beasts, they were."

Mary and Remus laughed. "What did they say?" asked Remus.

"Severus wanted to be in Slytherin and was hoping that I could be there with him. They didn't seem to be okay with it, though it was none of their business," I said forcefully. "Who would judge on what house someone's in, anyway? A load of rubbish."

Remus nodded. "There are stereotypes, but I don't believe them. They shouldn't have bothered you about that."

"Quite right," Mary agreed, just at a bumpity noise sounded outside of the compartment, and I saw what must have been what Remus was referring to before: the trolley. A plump witch with brown hair and a kind smile was pushing it along and stopped at our compartment.

Remus dashed forward and I noticed other students close to our compartment doing the same. I stood, curious, as he pulled open the door to the voice of the witch saying, "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

Remus' mouth watered. "I'll take three cauldron cakes, three of Every Flavor Beans boxes, and five chocolate frogs, please."

She nodded as he passed over some knuts, and Mary was next, passing over some coins for what she hesitantly called 'licorice wands' and a cauldron cake. Marlene, who I didn't know had been listening to anything, spoke up and ordered seven chocolate frogs and a cauldron cake.

Severus was eyeing the cart longingly, but I knew he hardly had any money. I stepped up and asked, "Could I have two cauldron cakes, four chocolate frogs, some Every Flavor Beans, and two licorice wands?" I had no idea what I was asking for, but I wanted to try everything that the others had ordered.

"Of course, sweetheart." The witch handed them over and told me how much to pay. After I did, our door closed. Remus was already wolfing down his cauldron cake, while Marlene slowly brought a frog's head to her mouth, other hand on her book.

"Here, Sev," I said, plopping a licorice wand, two chocolate frogs, and a cauldron cake into his lap. "Now, what are these anyway?"

He flushed. "You don't have to-"

"Of course I don't." Severus smiled at me, and so did Remus, who seemed to be the kind of person to appreciate acts of kindness.

Severus thanked me, and then said, "The cauldron cakes are a moist cake on the outside, very good, with a cream inside. Different ones have different flavored creams. The chocolate frogs are just their name, but they have the collectable cards inside. The licorice wands are just licorice that looks like a wand, and the Beans are literally every flavor." Eyeing them warily, he warned, "I've only had them once, and that time I got an old shoe flavored one. Be careful."

Mary and Remus laughed, and Severus seemed surprised that someone thought he was funny other than me. Marlene gasped from behind her book. We all stared at her.

She looked up, her eyes shining. "There are centaurs in the forest, and unicorns and hippogriffs! Entire herds! My dad didn't tell me that…"

"The Forbidden Forest, yes," said Remus gravely. "Sad, that we can't go in there to see those creatures, but there are also rumored to be dangerous things like… werewolves, in there."

"I doubt that will keep me out," came a voice from the corridor.

Our group looked up to see James and Sirius lounging in their doorway. My best friend's face hardened, while I moaned, "Oh, not you two again. Didn't we just get rid of you?"

Mary narrowed her eyes at them, while Remus cocked an eyebrow. "Are they the ones that were giving you a hard time about houses?"

"Couldn't help but tell everyone about the handsome boys that helped you carry your bags into a compartment, could you, Spitfire?" James said conversationally.

"As I recall," I said with a deep dislike, "you snatched my trunk away from me and I had no idea what you would do with it, considering how rude you were to me before you even knew who I was, and then made fun of my best friend for wanting to be in Slytherin. Forgive me if I am not so excited about your being here."

"I forgive you, Spitfire," said James with a grin.

Remus had the nerve to let out a small snigger as I snapped, "My name is not Spitfire!"

"Then what is it, Red?"

"If I tell you, will you go away?"

"Possibly."

I folded my arms and turned away from him. "'Possibly' is not good enough, Arse."

Now the entire compartment was laughing, not including Marlene and James, but she did finally look up from _Hogwarts, a History_. She seemed surprised to see the boys. Looking pointedly at James, she said, confused, "Your name is Arse? You must have awful parents, naming you that. Does it have a different meaning in a different language?"

James looked stunned, while Remus fell against the window in laughter, Sirius howled against the compartment door, Mary clutched her stomach with mirth, and Severus was practically on the floor laughing by then. I could hardly stop myself, and Marlene looked around, mystified and more confused than ever.

Eventually, James shook his head, saying loudly, growing a smile. "My name is not Arse. It's James. James Potter. And this is Sirius Black."

I snorted. "I knew that. I just thought 'Arse' better suited your personality."

At this, the laughter started up again, even James this time. "I thought Spitfire suited yours, unless you'd rather me call you something else?"

"I'd rather you not call me anything at all, because that would imply that you would talk to me, and I'd rather not do that either, if you please. Now, if you have no business here, I suggest you stop bothering us," I said firmly, turning my attention to my kitten as I scratched his ears. He was sleeping.

"I'll take you up on that in a moment," James said, his voice suddenly cool. "I just thought I would helpfully remind you to put on your robes before you get to Hogwarts. We'll be there in about a half an hour, and I saw you in your Muggle clothes on the way to chase after the trolley."

Mary frowned. "That's hardly your business."

"I never said it was, Curly," James countered.

"That's not my name!"

James sighed as Sirius snickered, and James said, "Well, you all may as well tell me your names so that I don't have to go through the exhausting process of renaming people that are not even worth my time."

I scowled, but the others only rolled their eyes. "I'm Remus Lupin," Remus said with a smile, because he seemed to smile at everyone. To my surprise, James and Sirius returned it.

"Mary McDonald," said Mary shortly, looking out the window with folded arms. I figured that she had been put off of Potter and Black as well.

"Marlene McKinnon," Marlene murmured.

Severus ground his teeth. "It's Severus Snape, not Snivellus."

"I'll remember that, Snivellus," Potter said.

Severus snarled, but I shook my head at him, mouthing, _He's not worth it_.

But now they were all looking at me. I finally breathed out. "Lily Evans."

"That wasn't too hard now, was it, Evans?" James asked with a smirk.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Just get out now, Potter. Please? Unless you have something worth our time to say?"

"Everything I say is worth the world's time!" James insisted, and even Sirius rolled his eyes at that.

"Come along, James. That's enough flirting for one day; you're only eleven," Sirius coaxed, dragging James away by his ear. James yelped, not being able to resist moving away from the compartment.

Once they were out, the rest of them all looked at me. After a still moment of silence, Mary said, "I see what you meant by nasty little beasts."

* * *

**Whaddya think? R&R, lovlies!**


	3. Chapter 2

Despite how Potter was the one that had suggested it, Mary and I did change into our robes, the boys and Marlene leaving us for a few minutes of privacy. They were comfortable, but a bit warm in the small compartment. I assumed that they would be more appropriately used in a giant, cold castle.

The sky was gathered with ominous clouds that cackled with thunder. Remus looked up at them apprehensively. "We have to take the boats on the lake to the school," he said. "I hope this passes."

Mary shivered. "Oh, I do too. I hate getting wet. What about you, Lily?"

I shrugged, smiling slightly up at the grey sky. "I like rain. How else would I grow?"

They laughed, before getting involved with another discussion of a game Remus and Severus called 'Quidditch'. I'd always been a bit of a daredevil, but Quidditch sounded like something you'd do on brink of insanity, with brooms so high in the air, despite how the boys assured me that it was safe.

It was about twenty minutes before a voice echoed through the train, making Marlene jump and drop her book: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

Remus slammed the door open in excitement, causing the entire pane of glass to shatter. We all stared at him as horror dawned on his expression.

"I didn't mean, er, ugh, I'm done for," he moaned while Mary held in her giggles, Severus gaped, and Marlene shrugged and kept reading.

I frowned at the shattered glass that the students bustling down the hall were ignoring. "I think I read of a spell that fixes that…"

Pulling my 10 ¼ inch, willow wand that Ollivander had told me was swishy and good for charms, I pointed it at the glass shards and murmured, "_Reparo_."

It was the first spell I'd ever done before, and it was exhilarating. Magic flowed through me from my toes to my wand, and the glass flew back into position. I slid my wand up my sleeve and set the tip inside a hole in the hem of it, where it was secure. My face hurt with the smile that had stretched across it.

They all at me. "How did you do that?" Mary asked.

"Not an idea. Let's go."

We shoved our way into the crowded corridor. Mary hopped up and down to try and see over the heads of the older students. Once we'd jostled our way through to the platform, we heard a booming voice announce, "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

A simultaneous sigh of relief passed through all of us as we headed off in the direction of the voice, and when we reached it, it was all we could do not to stare rudely. It was a giant of a man, with a wild, tangled, black beard and hair. Thick, strong hands, big boned body, but his eyes, reflected in the steady light from the lantern that he held over his head, were kind and twinkling down at the first years.

"Don' trip there, now. 's that all yeh? Alrigh', follow, this way, firs' years!"

A crowd of about forty of us eleven-year-olds hurried to keep up with the man's large strides as he lead us to a group of boats along the shore of a black, star-glimmering, calm lake. The storm was not yet over it.

Four people in each, the boats glided by themselves across the lake's surface. (The giant man got a boat all to himself.) I was in a boat with Severus, Marlene, and Mary, while poor Remus had been forced into a boat with Potter, Black, and a small, pitiful boy with mousy brown hair.

"Yer gonna see yer first view o' Hogwarts comin' up here," the man called out in his gruff voice ahead, and I saw many craning of necks and heard many excited whispers erupt.

And then we saw it.

All the occupants of our boat shared a sharp intake of breath. "Oh _my_," Marlene gasped.

'Oh my' was certainly correct. An enormous castle, stone stretching to the heavens with swirling towers and spires, stood firmly on a valley, a valley surely lain as a carpet for the sole purpose of giving something soft for the castle to sit on. The structure was encircled by shining silver mountains, safely hidden, decorated with a thick forest beside which rested a small cottage. But it was not a freezing, scary castle where lived monsters and evil kings. Warm light shone from each stained glass window or clear paned window, and the warmth from that castle surely was what made the lake so calm. It was under the safe castle's blanket of light.

"It's _magnificent_," I breathed.

"Have you ever seen something so wonderful in your life?" Mary whispered.

I looked back to Severus, who had never really felt at home when out his little, dank house on Spinner's End, was gazing up at the castle, marveling. I smiled. It would be the home he deserved.

The moment was ruined by the first roll of thunder.

Several people screamed, simply in surprise, but I gasped and looked up to see the first bolt of lightning. It cracked across the churning cloud sky. For some reason, it only gave me satisfaction. I was by Hogwarts, some place where I felt safe enough where even lightning, lightning jealous of the radiance of the castle compared to its own, could not hurt me.

Still, I gripped the sides of the small boat tightly as it was tossed. The large man called out over the sheet of coming rain that sprayed and splattered over the lake, "I's alrigh'! You'll be fine! We're almos' there!"

Thunder. Lightning. A little shriek from a boat close to ours and a loud splash. More screaming, then a familiar voice shouting, now devoid of its usual arrogance, "It's okay, Peter! Just keep treading!"

The giant held his lantern so that the happenings were visible. The mousy haired boy in the boat with Remus and the others had seemingly fallen in and was now gasping in terror, flapping in the water like a possessed duck. It would have been funny if I hadn't been afraid that the lightning would strike the water.

It was then that Potter himself, threw off his glasses and cloak and dove in after the boy, struggling to lift him from the water. Sirius and Remus reached out and grabbed Peter under the elbows, hauling him onto the craft. Just as they reached for James, his white hands outstretched, a wave swept him away and under. More people yelled and splashed the water with their hands in attempt to find him. The large man was bellowing calming words, but over the waves and screams, no one heard him.

Then the water beside us burst open, and up came James, gasping and choking. Instantly, I reached out for him as well, but each blow of a crest carried him further away. We were the boat farthest at the back; we were the closest to him, and he was drifting farther backwards. Spinning around wildly, I spotted the tie off rope on the end of the boat and snatched it up.

After I'd tied one part around my waist, I shoved the rest at the other three in the boat, the ones frozen in terror. "Hold on to this and pull me back in!"

They did so, hardly realizing what I was doing until I'd jumped into the water.

It was the cold that shocked me. My lungs seemed to freeze over, and I couldn't help but long for the light of the castle. But I pushed forward. I'd been the strongest swimmer in my class, and it didn't fail me then. Especially since the wind rocketed me half the way there.

When I got to James, I was surprised to find that he was not crying out. He was controlling his breathing, saving his energy. Thrusting out my hand to snatch his arm before he was flung away again, I shouted over the thunder, "Tie this around your middle!"

At first, he just stared at me uncomprehendingly. _Really_, I couldn't help but think in exasperation, _I may greatly dislike you, but I wouldn't leave you to die._

Then he did so, his frigid fingers fumbling with the knot. When I saw that he'd finished, I called back over to the boat, "Pull us back!"

I felt a tug on my waist and knew they had heard me. We were being pulled back, but the might of the angry wind fought my small group every step of the way. The rope loosened a few times, and I knew that they kept losing their grip.

James' soaking arms clung to my waist as he rested his forehead on my shoulder, breathing out shaky breaths. At first I wanted to push him away, but then I realized that he had been afraid, and needed comfort. I did not make any return of the action, but I did let him keep his firm hold around me. Sharing the body warmth did help as well.

The rope was dropped.

We both gasped, hearing cries from the direction of my boat and under James and I went. I couldn't see anything. Pitch black, pitch black water entering my lungs as I lost my fight to the surface…

Some great force wrapped around me, my arms and body, and from the thud of some other large thing, I could tell that it had James in the same grasp. I struggled with the last breath in me, while James was still. He had gone unconscious already.

My face exploded from the water, and before I knew it, I was flying through the air, James beside me, not even screaming, because I couldn't breathe with the wind that would fly into my mouth. There was a heavy thud and all the oxygen that I had left in any part of my body was knocked out. I felt hard wood under my hands. The boat. When I looked to the water, all I saw was a massive pale tentacle, sinking back below into the depths.

Mary and Marlene kept asking if I was okay, but I couldn't answer until a hand pounded me in the back and I coughed up a bunch of water. I looked up to see Severus as he pushed hair out of my face and examined me with brown eye in desperate worry.

Eventually, I choked out, "I'm fine. James? Where is he?"

Severus' face twisted, slightly, and I knew he still hated Potter. I didn't blame him, but I still wanted Potter to be okay.

"Right there." My friend pointed.

I looked, and James happened to be right beside me. Eyes closed, hair sopping, legs still hanging off of the side of the boat. Rushing forward, I pulled the rest of him into the boat, turning him onto his stomach.

"Help me," I said to Mary and Marlene, and they did so, propping him up on his knees and pounding on his back. I bushed my eyes together in worry. I didn't know CPR.

Just as I was about to think that he could even die, I heard a moan, and his arms pulled from mine as he gripped the side of the boat and was sick over the edge, mostly with water. I grimaced, though couldn't help but rub calming circles in his back, just like I did whenever Petunia was sick or sad. At least he was conscious.

After a few hushed moments, James began to laugh. We all stared at him, scandalized, but he just laughed out, "I'm surprised at you, girls. I was sure someone would take the opportunity to kiss me."

I rolled my eyes. "Almost died and still being a prick? I can't believe you."

But he just smiled at me. It wasn't the cocky smile, but the breathless, simple one. "Almost died and still being snarky. I like it." He wiped wet bangs from his face. "That was you, wasn't it? Evans."

"Yes."

He pointed at me wearily, but his smile was intact. "You're going to be a Gryffindor. No doubt about it. Thank you."

I blinked. "You're welcome."

It was then that the large man finally made his way to us, checking to see that we were okay and leading our boat to shore, where the other students already were. Sirius and the other boys whooped in relief and victory when they saw James stumbling onto the rocky ground. Remus, Sirius, and little Peter rushed forward, Peter still sopping.

"We thought you kicked the bucket the hard way, mate!" shouted Sirius, ruffling James' hair hard enough that James almost fell over with the force. "How did you get out?"

"Evans," James said, shooting a grin back. "She saved me. Knew she was in love with me."

I sighed as they snickered, but it couldn't be helped. I was too tired and cold to argue.

Squeezing water from my hair, I walked forward with the girls and Severus. He put an arm around my shoulders, and so did Mary, warming me. But then a massive hand took my arm gently, and suddenly an enormous coat was being draped around my body. The giant man's coat.

After I thanked him extensively, he also drew over Peter and Potter, and we shared the coat as we slopped our way into the castle.

James sighed, slinging his arms around Peter and me, who held up the coat on either side. "Well, mates, I'd call that a successful day for thrill seeking. I think it's time for a feast, in honor of the bravery of Evans and me, and the stupidity of our dear Peter for getting us into this mess. What do you say?"

To their surprise and mine, I found myself laughing. "I think that is one thing we can agree on, Potter."

* * *

**Another up, wonderful geeks! Sorry it's later than I'd like to post; it's the end of the school year, and teachers always shove in massive projects. Very busy! But when summer comes around, I'll be getting these out faster, I promise. I know I don't have many readers (sigh), but leave a review if you want me to put up another chapter. Thanks! Love you!**


	4. Chapter 3

The castle, on the inside, I was surprised to find wasn't that cold. Great, tall, oak doors had opened to admit us into the entrance hall by a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes. Her face, stern and severe, turned up to the large man (Remus had told us that his name was Hagrid when we'd walked up from the shore of the lake.) upon his stepping into the doorway.

"Here're the firs' years this year, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, motioning to our shivering, huddled group. Peter stood up on his tiptoes to see her better, as we were in the back of all the new first years.

While Professor McGonagall said something to Hagrid about taking us from there, however, I was too focused on the grand entrance hall, with firmly standing marble staircases leading up on either side of what must've been the door to the Great Hall, the ceiling was too high to be visible, and flickering torches burned every few feet on the walls.

I was pushed along with the others when we surged forward, but stopped in front of the next set of gigantic doors. Professor McGonagall turned to us once more. My stomach clenched anxiously at the sound of the voices from inside of the Hall, waiting for us to enter. James' feet squished in his shoes as he shifted constantly under Hagrid's massive coat, and Peter was biting his nails off. Swallowing an absence of wetness in my dry throat, I looked up to the Professor.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "The start-of-term feast will begin shortly. Before this, however, you must be sorted into houses. This is one of the most important moments of your life, because your house, while at Hogwarts, will be like your family. Together, you will have classes, share a dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

She stared around at us, eyes resting on random students, making them shiver. "The four houses," she continued, "are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced remarkable witches and wizards. Here, your triumphs will earn your house points, but any rule-breaking will lose house points. Thus, at the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a benefit to your house."

The professor finished off with, "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. Take that into consideration before you enter the Great Hall." Her eyes swept over the dripping students. While McGonagall turned and entered the Hall, first years simultaneously reached up to smooth out their robes and finger-comb their hair.

Looking at Potter beside me, I felt the urge to fix_ his_ hair, because it stuck up in the back and, frankly, all over the place. Some stuck to his forehead with dampness. Unable to stand it any longer, I blurted, "You should straighten your hair."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "It's supposed to be like that. It's what makes me so charming and stunningly attractive."

I gave him a weird look. "Eleven-year-olds cannot be attractive."

"That was before I was born, Evans," he said, lightly tapping the tip of my nose.

Before I could open my mouth for a retort, Professor McGonagall returned. "Line up now, first years. Follow me."

Peter, Potter, and I slopped along at the end of the line, Hagrid trailing behind us. Upon entering, I gasped, causing Potter to smirk at me, but I ignored him. Floating candles, thousands and thousands, glowed against the domed ceiling of the Hall, which seemed to be enchanted to look like the stormy weather outside of the safe castle. Four long tables pointed up at a horizontal one, at which I assumed sat the teachers. Banners hung over each table: the far right, a gold and scarlet one with a lion printed in the center. Gryffindor. Beside that, a table which over sported a black badger with a yellow background, which I assumed was Hufflepuff. Next, was the Ravenclaw eagle. Severus had told me their symbol was an eagle, which didn't make sense to me, considering how their name was _Raven_claw. Lastly was Slytherin, their silver serpent curling up a green banner.

At the front table sat who I assumed was the Headmaster, Dumbledore, a wise, cheerful looking man with a beard so long he could tuck it into his belt. Hagrid moved to the front and whispered something to the Professor, who finally saw Potter, Peter and I in the back, dripping all over the stone floor. With one swish of her wand, we were dried, and a kind-eyed Hagrid came and took his coat back to head over to his large chair at the table.

Eyes of each and every student in the Hall followed us as we went after Professor McGonagall until we crowded before a small stool upon which stood a ragged, old, brown, wizard's hat. The Sorting Hat, as Severus told me.

The fact that we were being sorted into groups of people that would change our lives forever by a hat was strange enough, but then a rip opened in the rim of the hat, and it began to sing. It sang a song of Gryfindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, bravery, kindness and humility, cleverness, and cunning. When the song ended, the occupants of the tables whooped and clapped. When Professor McGonagall swept the students with her gaze, they fell silent.

"When I call your name," McGonagall said over the last whispers, "you will step forward to sit on the stool. I will place the hat on your head, and it will sort you into your house. Then you will proceed to your house table for the feast and be lead to your dormitories by your house prefects." She rolled out a scroll, and read in a loud voice, "Arbol, Nessa!"

A short girl with light brown hair wobbled forward and settled onto the stool, upon which the hat, much too big for her, was set on her head. After only a second, the hat's brim opened once more to shout, "Hufflepuff!"

Everyone clapped and the Hufflepuff table cheered, welcoming the girl joyfully to their house. Next up was a girl with curly blonde hair that was named a Ravenclaw, and on it went, the hat shouting out, "Slytherin!" or "Ravenclaw!" or "Hufflepuff!" in turn, no Gryffindors yet, and, finally, the Professor called out, "Black, Sirius!"

Murmuring swept through the Slytherins, and scowls radiated from the other end, Gryffindors. I remembered Black saying that his entire family had been in Slytherin. He walked forward casually, like he could take on the entire school with his bare hands. He sighed, plopping down on the stool and, to the utter shock of all students and staff, as soon as that hat touched his forehead, the hat yelled, almost laughing, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindors were very loud, stomping their feet, pounding the table, yelling in triumph at gaining the first Black ever to not be in Slytherin. He grinned widely, giving James and Remus a thumbs up before sauntering over to his new family.

Before I knew it, McGonagall had read off, "Evans, Lily!"

Mary squeezed my hand in encouragement, Severus smiled at me nervously, Remus touched my shoulder in reassurance, and, of course, Potter felt the need to push me forward by giving me a light slap in the back of my pants, to which I glared at him heatedly. He winked at me while my cheeks reddened. Breathing out, I put a confident face on. I couldn't let him get to me. Potter was only doing this to irk me, so that he could get an amusing reaction, and I was not going to give it to him. I strode forward, trying not to let my nerves show though I knew my legs were trembling, and sat on the stool.

I didn't really know what to expect, if I would hear his thinking in my head or if it would somehow hurt, but instead, as soon as it touched my hair, it shouted out, "Gryffindor!"

Despite how I wondered about Severus, (I cast him a sad smile.) my heart burned with pride. I was in Gryffindor, house of the brave. I was forced into a spot by Sirius, but upon seeing him, crossed my arms and turned away.

I watched closely as Remus, Mary, Marlene, a girl named Alice Prewett, Peter (Pettigrew, I learned his last name was.) and, to my disgust, Potter, be sorted into my house.

Soon "Snape, Severus!" was called, and I watched with rapt attention as Severus stepped up, and when the sorting hat was placed on his head, it announced, "Slytherin!" My hope deflated, but at least it was what he'd wanted, and at least he didn't have to put up with Potter and Black. I watched him sit down beside a blonde-haired boy with a shiny badge on his chest, who patted him on the back. I hoped they would be nice to him.

After the last (Yemmen, Zachariah) was sorted into Ravenclaw, everyone looked to the Headmaster, who stood, spreading out his arms. "I would surely give a fantastic speech for all of you gathered back here today for what I feel will be an exciting new year! And I'm sure I would impress you all with my marvelous wit, but now is the time for a feast, and I'm sure that no one is capable of listening well when they are hungry!"

"Of course, I will warn you that the Forbidden Forest on the grounds, named properly, is forbidden, for many dangerous creatures reside within, and there will be no spells in the corridors. I'd also like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tremmel." Dumbledore waved his hand at a man two seats down from him, a smiling, pleasant-looking man with chocolate brown hair, but with a few scars on his face. The students clapped politely.

Dumbledore continued, "However, I would like to announce a few starting house points to our new first years." His eyes twinkled, and moved down to Potter and I. "I have been told that there was an incident at the lake in which a student fell in, and one jumped in to save him before being swept away by the storm. Then another attempted to save that boy, though they were ultimately rescued by the giant squid. I will award each of them, Lily Evans and James Potter of Gryffindor, thirty points for bravery and valor."

I flushed deeply as my new house cheered and clapped and the other tables groaned, though Potter seemed to enjoy the attention, grinning around like he knew he deserved it. Then, suddenly, food in gleaming platters, any food you could imagine, simply appeared in the center of the table and a plate in front of me, forks and spoons and knives, a golden goblet…

"Wow," murmured the first years together, but I reached forward eagerly, choosing some potatoes, steak, beans, and fruit. I looked up for a drink, seeing Remus across from me lifting his goblet to his lips, and he saw me looking. He smiled.

"It's pumpkin juice; it's very good. Here." He passed me a shiny pitcher in which was a deep orange liquid. After I'd thanked him, I poured myself a good measure, and it tasted satisfying and sweet.

Remus, next to Pettigrew, seemed to have bonded with the other boys during the lake ride, and was laughing along with them heartily. Well, at least they got along; Marlene had told us that dormitories are split into girl and boy sections, and that students of the same year shared them, so Remus would be rooming with Peter, Potter, and Black. That meant that Mary, Marlene, Alice and I would get our own place. We seemed to get along well, I found, as we got into conversation about the classes, wands, families over dinner.

After the excellent supper, I still forced dessert, because they had a fantastic pecan pie. Potter, who was beside Black, gasped and reached at the plate in front of him, shouting , "Treacle tart!"

When we'd finished, pleasantly full and sleepy, Dumbledore stood and sent us off to bed and wished us a good sleep. The prefects of each house called to the first years, herding us up and leading us up several staircases that I was sure to forget. I watched several of them change after we'd gone up them.

Finally, we came upon a large portrait of a very fat lady. She eyed us all, then looked up to the prefects, saying, "Password?"

The male prefect with the brown hair said loudly, so that all the Gryffindors could hear, "Periwinkle!"

The fat lady nodded and the entire painting swung out to reveal a short tunnel. The prefects ushered the eight new first years in and then followed, the girl prefect with the auburn hair telling us, "The girls' dormitories are up on the right, the boys' on the left – first doors you come to. Your trunks and pets are waiting for you."

I only barely heard her. I was busy staring around at the cozy common room; there was a fireplace on the right wall surrounded by cushy armchairs, and many tables surely meant for studying or games were set up on the left. Giant rugs were laid out on the dark wooden floor. There were windows overlooking the grounds with generously stuffed window seats. We were up in a tower.

Mary snatched up my wrist and I couldn't help but be lead up, by the rest of my giggling roommates in excitement to see where we'd be living for the next seven school years. We went up the spiral stairs where the prefect instructed and opened a wooden door to find a circular tower room with four four-poster beds with scarlet, gold trimmed curtains and puffy quilts. There was a window on either side of each bed by which rested a chair that held our new Gryffindor shirts, sweaters, ties, hats, gloves and scarves for winter.

Beside that was lain our trunks, and my cat, Peach, had been let out of his travelling case and was snoozing on the inside ledge of the window. There was both a furnace and a pitcher beside goblets on a table in the center of the room, and I guessed that it was for if any of us got thirsty in the night. When we opened a door off to the right, we found bathroom with two private showers, two sinks, a large mirror, a cabinet full of toiletries and towels, and two toilets in stalls.

The girls and I rushed around in the main room, making the place our home. Marlene lined up books her bedside table along with the open cage for her little owl. We were confused at the lamp she'd placed there as well, but she explained that she'd bought it in Diagon Alley, and that it was magical, obviously not electronic.

Mary set up pictures of her family and simply her wand, while I did the same, and Alice, who seemed to have a toad, set up a small, wet tank for him on her nightstand.

I meant to say goodnight to them after I pulled on a dressing gown and slid under my covers, but sleep took me too quickly to do so. I dreamed of magic.

* * *

**Hello again, my flowers! Sorry this took a while, but I wanted to make it good, and I was also busy working on my science project (which I should be doing right now...) and my other story for Percy Jackson, ****_The Problem with Immortality_****.** **If you like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, you might want to check it out. Anyway, this did take a while, because I took out all my Hogwarts books to research and get every aspect right. I also found out that James didn't start wearing glasses until fifth year, so I'll change that soon. So, if you want another chapter, you'll have to review, good folks! Love you all, and can't wait to get to the good stuff...**


	5. Chapter 4

The following morning was simply a mad rush, rush to the shower, rush to pull on our new uniforms and brush our hair and teeth, then stuff books, quills, ink, and parchment in our bags, wands in pockets, and head down to breakfast. You see, we couldn't quite remember how to get to the Great Hall, and we wanted to have other Gryffindors to follow. Sure enough, some students that looked to be about fourteen were nearing the portrait hole, and we clambered after them, following from a distance so as not to seem as if we were stalking.

Several staircases later, when we entered the Hall, there were students scattered all around the tables, laughing and eating from a spread not quite as big as yesterday's feast, but there was still a great variety. Together we found a seat, and I brought a piece of toast to my plate and spread jam over it. After taking a sip of pumpkin juice, I listened to Marlene, saying from behind her book,

" – Head of House will hand out our schedules at this breakfast. See? She's coming down our table now."

I peered down the table to see Professor McGonagall passing out sheets of parchment to each student she stopped at. When she came to the four of us, we were handed the same schedule and she moved on. I glanced down at it.

"Good thing it's nice out; we have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first," I noted.

"Then Potions with the Slytherins." Alice wrinkled her nose. "My cousin Lenord was a Slytherin. Hated him. Used to send snakes and intestinally challenged bats after me. Was covered in guano for a week, I swear to you."

"They're not all so bad," I said instantly, remembering Severus and straining to look over heads to the Slytherin table, see where he was. "The Slytherins, I mean; not the bats and their bat diarrhea."

"Transfiguration after lunch," Mary said brightly. "Charms last!"

I looked down at my pocket, where my wand was. "Ollivander said my wand was good for charms. Maybe it's something I could be good at."

"That's what he said about mine too," Marry confided. "What did he say about yours, Marlene?"

She looked up. "Huh?"

Mary sighed. "Never mind."

"Well, mine is supposed to be fantastic for transfiguration," said a voice behind me. "But I would not change Evan's hair. It is a rather brilliant shade of red, don't you think?"

James Effing Potter sat on my right, forcing Alice further down the bench, and Black slid in gracefully on my left.

Potter grinned. "Good morning, Evans."

"Morning," I said shortly, becoming increasingly interested in my schedule.

"What, too lazy even to add a 'good' in front of morning?" Potter asked, frowning.

I sighed through my nose, saying nothing as Peter and Remus sat across from Sirius, beside Mary.

Sirius casually picked up my untouched toast and began to chomp on it. When I glowered at him, he smiled with full cheeks. He swallowed.

"Thank you, Daisy."

"Lily."

He shrugged. "What's the difference? Both flowers."

"Not both me," I said, reaching for more toast.

He sighed. "Whatever you say, Honeysuckle, whatever you say."

I turned to him for an angry retort (I refused to let 'Honeysuckle' to become a new nickname) when Potter tapped on my shoulder. I spun around. "What?!"

But all he asked was, "What do we have first today?"

"Herbology," I said. I did my toast quickly and ate it so that none of them had time to bother me more, gulped some last pumpkin juice, and gave a jerk of the head to the other girls aimed for the doors to the entrance hall. They were all too relieved to leave the boys, and willingly followed.

It was simple to find the greenhouses, and when there, we were taught of many a interesting plant, though I admit to being a bit frightened of the one I saw outside of a different greenhouse, the one that I saw strangle an innocent songbird and then swallow it whole.

Then we were off to the dungeons, though it took several dead ends to find our way there, and entered to a strangely smelling room where many small caldrons held bubbling substances and sat tables that seated three each. The girls and I frowned at this; how would we fit together?

When we heard the door open once more, and I brightened when I saw Severus. He smiled back at me, but sent a fearful look at his fellow Slytherins. I narrowed my eyes, wondering what his problem was. Were they mean to him?

"Hey, I'll sit next to Severus; you go on," I told Mary, Marlene, and Alice. Mary and Marlene, who had met him on the train, just nodded and shrugged, while Alice gaped at me. I ignored her, and motioned to Severus. To my relief, he instantly left his Slytherin huddle to join me. They watched him go, though, muttering and cocking eyebrows.

The female Slytherins entered, then Remus and Peter. Remus sent me a smile, considering how he felt obligated to smile at the world, and sat at the table behind ours with Peter.

Finally, in came the Potions master. My first impression was that he looked a bit like a walrus: mustache, buttons on his velvet smoking jacket strained on his rather large belly. But despite how he taught classes in a castle's old dungeon surrounded by pickled frogs staring at him in jars, he seemed to be a cheerful man when he greeted, "Good morning, first years! You may call me Professor Slughorn, and, as you know, we'll be brewing potions, starting already today, but there is much more to potions than throwing a few beetle's eyes and powder into a cauldron. Now here on the tables, I've set examples-"

He paused suddenly, realizing that two of the chairs were empty. I stared around. That's why it had been so peaceful and quiet! Potter and Black weren't here.

"Oh dear," Slughorn chuckled. "Late on their first day? Missing some Gryffindors, are we?"

Remus sighed from his nose, but was smiling in an exasperated way. "Yes, sir. They must have gotten lost, though they were right behind me-"

Right on cue, the door burst open, and in fell (literally) Potter and Black, laughing their buttocks' off. "Oh, sweet Merlin," Black gasped, pushing himself up from the floor. "Did you see her face when she realized she stepped in a great vat of-"

They seemed to notice that everyone was staring at them. Instead of being embarrassed, however, they, in unison, bowed low to the ground, then popped up, Potter saying, "Sorry, Professor. Got lost in our brilliance."

"Or in that astoundingly large head of yours," I muttered to Severus. He snickered, while Slughorn, to my astonishment, simply laughed and asked them to take a seat, saying that he would excuse them this time.

"I heard that, Evans." And the arrogant berk sat beside me. I again felt the urge to flatten his hair.

"Well, I hope it helps in deflating your head, so that you can get through the classroom door next time without tripping over with the weight of it," I said casually. Severus grinned at me.

While Potter stared at me, Slughorn seemed to have heard me, and, instead of punishment, let out a booming laugh. "Well, well! This lady has a sharp tongue. What is your name, Miss…"

"Evans, sir," I said. "Lily Evans."

"Well, then, Miss Evans, since you seem clever, can you take a guess as to which potion is in front of you, there?"

In this, I felt confident. I had read so many of Severus' potions books that I was sure to know it. I examined it closely, breathing some in. It smelled wonderful, of the flowers in our garden at home, the smell of my bed after my mother had washed the sheets, of the cookies that my mother made, of rain, and something else that I couldn't describe, something sort of spicy and like pine needles, though I didn't know what it was from. "Amortentia, Professor."

"My, my!" Slughorn said loudly. "That is N.E.W.T. level knowledge, Miss Evans!" I flushed. "Did I know your parents? Could they possibly be-"

"Oh no, sir," I said. "I'm Muggle-born, see."

"Oh, very impressed, very impressed, yes, yes it is." Slughorn beamed around, and I noticed his knack for getting the students' attention. "The most powerful love potion in the world, right before Miss Evans, there. It can't create actual love, of course, but powerful obsession. Be wary. Its smells, surely how Miss Evans identified it, are most particular. Mr… Potter, is it?" Potter nodded. Slughorn asked, "What do you smell in it, for example?"

"Me, sir?" He took a whiff. "Well, something like a broomstick, some treacle tart, and…" He scratched his neck, frowning. Then he looked at me, grinning slyly. "…and a lily flower. One that smells remarkably like Miss Evan's lovely red hair here, I do think."

"Bugger off, Potter," I grumbled, scooting my chair away from him. Severus almost growled, and I was secretly grateful for his protection. Slughorn simply chuckled again, though Mary looked at me sympathetically. The boys behind me simply sniggered in the most irritating way I'd ever encountered.

While I seethed and Potter still grinned at me in that self-satisfied way of his, Slughorn said, "Now, I'll explain the other potions in upcoming classes, but I'd like to give you time to work on brewing your first potion! If you'll turn to page 19 in your books, you'll see a potion for curing boils. Get out the materials there, and begin the instructions. Be sure to follow them exactly! I will walk around and offer advice and assistance. A chocolate frog to the best potion! Off you go!"

"If I'm feeling generous today," Severus said, shooting a smirk at me after rifling through his pages. "I _may_ share the chocolate frog that I'm going to receive soon with you."

I narrowed my eyes, but eventually smiled playfully. "You won't need to be generous. You'll just need to beg for some of _my _chocolate frog."

"Is that a challenge, Lil'?"

"That's a promise, Sev."

"We'll see about that."

"Oh," I assured him, pulling out my ingredients. "I always keep my promises."

"I'm afraid you'll have to break that streak," he said regretfully.

"Oh, stop dreaming, Severus Tobias Snape. You can just watch me."

I began the first step, which was crushing six snake fangs in my mortar to a fine powder. After both Severus and I had finished this and then added four measures of it to our caldrons, we heated the mixture and said the correct incantation over the bubbling fangs. After leaving it to brew, as it said in our books, for three minutes, I added the four horned slugs and two porcupine quills. It wasn't fair that I was slower than Severus; Potter kept stealing my ingredients. He did have his own, yes, but his sole purpose of existence seemed to be to annoy me, so I wasn't so surprised.

I began to do the stirring, and noticed that Severus added a counterclockwise stir after every fifth stir. Smirking, I did the same, knowing that he was, admittedly, very experienced at this. When I finished, I frowned at it. It looked like Severus', but not as smooth as I liked it. The book said it should look as smooth as possible, though stated no further instructions. It looked as if her quills and slugs hadn't disintegrated completely. I remembered reading about a plant that did nothing but further break down ingredients in Severus' book, and snatched it out of my kit.

Potter looked at me curiously over his cauldron that was emitting an unearthly disgusting scent (I was glad that we were sitting by the Amortentia, or I may as well have gotten suffocated by the smell.) as I cut the leaves into smaller pieces. "What are you doing? Those aren't in the directions."

"It's called creativity," I mumbled, and Severus looked over. His mouth thinned.

"Drat. I should have thought of that. Nice thinking, Lil'."

And he copied me.

I huffed out through my mouth, shaking the leaves into the cauldron, knowing that it couldn't be helped. By the time Slughorn told everyone to stop their potion making, a perfect boil cure sat before me, and before Severus as well. I wondered if there was a possible difference between the two that could make one better.

Slughorn quickly passed over Potter's, not wanting the fumes to give him brain damage, and came to our potions. After quickly scanning the rest of the class, he began to laugh again. "Oh, clearly the best, clearly! I can't choose! Lucky that I have more than one chocolate frog. Very good job! Oh, who's idea was it to add the Hemoria leaves?"

Severus smiled, and pointed to me. Slughorn beamed, but I stuttered out, "Oh, but I learned about them from Severus, so-"

"So modest, so modest – very well! Well earned prizes to you both!" And we were both handed a chocolate frog.

The bell rang just after we'd packed up, and the girls caught up with me. "Good job, Lily!" praised Mary.

"Thanks." I grinned, starting to walk to lunch with Mary and Severus as Marlene and Alice got into conversation behind us.

Severus and I unwrapped our frogs, looking at the cards, when a hand snatched Severus' away.

"Thanks much, Snivilly," said Potter, tossing it back and forth with Black. I looked to Remus, but he only clenched his teeth slightly and began to read a book. Severus looked ready to strangle Potter, and I was more than ready.

I knew magic was forbidden in the hallways, but I could help but to whip out my wand and use one of the jinxes that I had read. I shouted, "_Locomotor wibbly!_" at Potter, who was currently holding the frog, and to my satisfaction, his legs began to jerk uncontrollably.

When he looked down, surprised, Alice ran and caught the soaring frog, handing it to Severus. We stared at her, and she blushed. "I want to be a Seeker next year," she admitted.

"Thank you," Severus said to us quietly.

I was about to say 'you're welcome' but it was then that Potter fell onto the floor, passerby laughing. I quickly muttered the counterjinx before a prefect showed up and hurried away to the Great Hall before he could get revenge.

"Merlin, Lily," said Mary, shaking her head as she piled watermelon onto her platter. "Only two classes at Hogwarts, and you've already managed to rescue someone from a storm in the lake, earn thirty house points, create the only friendship between Slytherin and Gryffindor ever known, become the Potions master's favorite, and jinxed someone in the corridor for stealing a Slytherin's chocolate frog. I hope there is a Hogwarts record book in which we can record your achievements."

Just then Potter, seemingly having gotten over the fact that I'd jinxed him, slid over and added, "Don't forget the record for '_most gorgeous first year'_."

I scowled, but Mary just smirked. "I think you're referring to the '_Already has an annoying boy pestering her for attention because he thinks she's pretty, but he should shut up because he's only eleven years old'_ record."

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I considered dumping my pumpkin juice on her brown curls. James merely shrugged. "An alternative title, I'll grant you."

I sighed, and promptly dumped my juice on him instead.

* * *

*****PLEASE READ!*****

**Okay! Finally got this up. Sorry - I've been working on projects nonstop, and so it's lucky I had enough time to do this. Not my best chapter, but anyway...**

**So, I was thinking that maybe I should finish off the first year quick and just skip to fourth year, where the fun stuff starts happening. I know it isn't too interesting right now, but I wanted to set the scene well. There's not much I can do with them when they're eleven; I can have more fun with teenagers. I need some Jily and Maurauderness. Siriusly.**

**What do you guys think I should do? Want me to skip, or want a chapter a year or so? Please leave comments****!**

**Yes, those were the exact instructions for how to make the potion... such a geek - looked it up on Pottermore... **

**I was never too fond of Snape, because though I pitied him, I never thought it was an excuse to treat Harry the way he did, but in this, I will pay him a little tribute for having ****_used to_**** be a good friend. ****_Used to._**

**But I love James more. **

**And plenty of Sirius and Remus I'll add too, for my fellow Remus and Sirius fangirlers out there. Am I the only one that thinks Remus is totally like Jem from the Infernal Devices? No? Okay. Just me... dum de dum de dum...**

**Awkwardness aside, have a great rest of your night (or day, wherever you are in the world), beautifuls!**

**Don't forget to comment on your thoughts!**

**~LoneStorm**


	6. Chapter 5

Looking back, the rest of the year was as eventful as the beginning, and I'm not just talking about how I got to 'accidentally' drop a pile of books on Potter's head when I was the first to learn the hover charm. (Rightfully deserved; he kept poking me with the needle he had made in Transfiguration.) I was in a castle full of magic, I had friends, I was with Severus, and it didn't matter that Tuney never wrote to me, because my parents did. What more could a girl want? Well, a girl could want a certain James Potter to grow up and stop annoying her…

**_Four Years Later…_**

"Remus sent us a letter!" I called out as I made my way up the stairs to my room, where the rest of my friends were currently laying about. It was only a two weeks before fifth year, and they had all come to my house to stay until King's Cross Station.

A thump sounded on the floor, and Mary appeared at the door, pretty brown curls bouncing. When I craned my neck over her, I saw Marlene upside down on my armchair, feet crossed on the backrest and head hanging below the cushion. She was holding a book in front of her face. Alice was on her stomach on my bed, rifling through a Quidditch magazine.

Mary's blue eyes shone. "Really? What did he say? Did he say hello to me?"

Alice laughed openly, closing her magazine. "Really, Mary, could you be more obvious?"

I smirked, shaking my head, and pushed past her. My windows were open, letting a light breeze sift through the room and play with my ponytail. I sat beside Alice and showed the still sealed letter to Mary. She pouted. "Well, open it!"

Marlene looked up from her book as I took out the letter and began to read, "_Dear Lily, Mary, Marlene, and Alice-"_

"Why did he mention Lily's name first?" Mary fretted. "Do you think he-"

"Most likely-" I cut in, exasperated. "Because he sent it to _my_ effing house because he knew we were all here. Now stuff it and let me read."

She quieted, and I continued, "_How has your summer been? I hope you're all well. Mine has been quite enjoyable, and, in fact, right now I am at James' house with Sirius, Pete, and James, obviously. I take it you all got your letters – which of you are a prefect? I won't tell you which one of us is the prefect until you write back –" _ I rolled my eyes. "As if we need him to tell us."  
Mary frowned. "Who do you think it is?"

"Obviously Black," said Alice airily. "I hear Dumbledore wants him to teach the first years how to sneak dungbombs into Slytherin underwear and blow them up with magic."

All of us snorted but Marlene, who had put her book aside. She twiddled her thumbs together. "Sirius isn't so bad."

"Ugh, not you too," I sighed. "Well, we'll have to write back later, then, because we haven't gotten our letters, but I assume that means we'll get our owls today. Back to reading…" I cleared my throat. "_Anyway, this letter is mainly to inquire if you four would like to meet us in Diagon Alley on the twenty fifth to pick up our school things. Maybe we could all meet at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour? _

_ "The lads thought you'd read this if it was I that wrote this letter, because I know you and James, well, aren't on the best of terms, and Sirius… Perhaps I shouldn't mention Sirius. You have no problem with Peter though, if that helps. But despite events in the past, we do all miss you and greatly hope to see you there. I do apologize for the letters James has been sending you, a few with those awful poems, and I assure you that no more will be sent. Sirius has threatened to end James' manhood in many ways if he does so again, because we know otherwise you probably won't come at all._

_ "Please reply soon. We wait rather impatiently. Seriously, James is tapping his wand everywhere, muttering and asking me when you'll reply before I've even sent the damned thing and making it snow. It's rather irritating. But have a good rest of your summer, and hope to see you in Diagon Alley._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Remus"_

There was more, but I didn't read it out loud:

_P.S. James keeps poking me until I let him write something, but he promised it would only be one sentence, so here it goes…_

**_HELLO DEAR LILY! You look wonderful today, though my tearful eyes have not seen you, and may I say that your eyes are like the grass in springtime that is munched on by baby bunnies who think it is absolutely delicious just like you and that you~~~~_**

_I apologize for his run-on sentence ~~~_

**_Cheers, girls! Hello there, Marlene. What book are you reading? If you come to Diagon Alley, I'll take you to the bookstore and get you books, so many books that you'll get tired of them and start staring at me instead because you don't want to stare at a book ever again because books aren't nearly as sexy~~~~_**

_And that was Sirius stealing my quill! There you have it – they both have terrible grammar ~~~~_

**_What does grammar matter when you're writing thrilling letters of love~~~~~_**

_Alright, I'm going to seal this before it comes to any further harm. Have a nice day!_

Alice peered over my shoulder. "'Your eyes are like the grass in springtime that is munched on by baby bunnies'?"

I flushed. "Don't ask," I mumbled, folding the letter back up quickly and stuffing it back into its envelope.

"So," said Mary, staring at me intently from where she perched on my window seat, "are we going?"

With all their eyes on me, I still frowned. "If you're remembering, these are the _Maruaders_."

"And?" said Marlene.

"_And_ they're hell on legs."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Alice scoffed.

Mary smirked. "Yep. Hotter than hell."

I threw a pillow at her. "Look, are you forgetting the time they found a way to get up to our dormitories on a ninty degree night when we wore only underwear to bed and they stole the rest of our clothes and towels from our drawers?"

Marlene winced. "Oh, I don't think I'll ever forget that."

"Exactly," I said. "And the time they transformed the entire second floor into a pond complete with piranhas?"

"They were charmed only to bite Slytherins, though," Alice defended, as if this made it better.

"Or the time they put a Taboo on the school so that whenever someone said 'Slytherin' with a positive adjective or 'Mudblood', they'd sprout antlers and grow tentacles out of their-"

Mary held up a hand. "Please spare me that description."

I persisted, "The time they hexed – illegal hex, mind you – Bertram Aubrey? Her head was twice its normal size!"

"They got detention." Mary shrugged.

"Or that doorway that whenever you walked through it, your skin would change color and you'd get squirted with stinksap?"

Marlene gave a small smile. "I thought it was kind of funny."

"Not even mentioning how every winter, they charm snowballs to follow people around and smack them in the buttocks over and over, making it look like they wet themselves!"

"Well, at least they charmed Snape's to hit his head, so that it would finally wash that hair," Alice pointed out with a grin.

That was my boiling point. "And they always bully Severus! I find him bruised sometimes after what they do to him! It's sickening!"

"He hexes them too," Marlene said.

"Only in self defense!" I fumed. "They do it for no good reason."

"Severus does Dark Magic!" Mary stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I don't care what you say about him, Lil, he's going bad!"

"He's fine!" I said. "If people would stop being awful to him, then they would see-"

"Are you forgetting what his little friends did to me last year?" Mary said, narrowing her eyes.

I grimaced. Of course I remembered. I remembered Avery laughing as Mary was frozen in place and Mulciber waving his wand, Mary starting to scream... until Remus and I heard her and came to the rescue.

"No, I'm not," I said, quieting my voice. "But that was Mulciber, not Severus, and I talked to Severus about it afterwards…"

"Didn't you say that you didn't even think he was listening to you?" Mary asked, raising her eyebrows.

I sighed. It did seem that way, but I had hoped that he was listening…

_ "I need to talk to you, Sev," I said on a particularly sunny day as I pulled him by the sleeve off to somewhere more private._

_ "What's wrong?" he asked, eyebrows scrunching in concern._

_ I sighed. "Look, putting this frankly, I don't like the way you've been acting lately. I don't enjoy spending time with people that hang round with-"_

_ He cut me off, a look of betrayal evident on his thin, sallow face, "But I thought we were supposed to be friends? Best friends?"_

_ "We _are_, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging round with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! _Mulciber!_ What do you see in him, Sev; he's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?"_

_ I leaned up against a pillar, and was irritated by how tall he'd gotten. Severus said quickly, "That was nothing. It was a laugh, that's all-"_

_ "It was Dark Magic," I told him solemnly, "and if you think that's funny-"_

_ "What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" he burst, his cheeks rising in color._

_ "What's Potter got to do with anything?" I said, bewildered, and frustrated that he was changing the subject._

_ "They sneak out at night. There's something weird about that Lupin. Where does he keep going?" demanded Severus._

_ "He's ill," I said defensively. Apparently his mother had gotten better, but he had an illness as well. "They say he's ill-"_

_ "Every month at the full moon?"_

_ I could feel my expression harden coldly. Insulting Potter was one thing, but Remus was kind, sweet boy. "I know your theory. Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"_

_ "I'm just trying to show you that they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are," Severus argued._

_ I flushed under the pressure of his intense gaze. "They don't use Dark Magic, though." I lowered my voice, looking around for eavesdroppers. "And you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow, and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there-"_

_ Severus made something like a grimace and an outraged scowl as he sputtered, "Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to – I won't let you-"_

_ "_Let_ me? _Let_ me?" I hissed, my voice raising, eyes narrowing to slits. _

_ Severus backed away, stammering further. "I didn't mean – I just didn't want to see you made a fool of – He fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" The words seemed painful to his throat, but I felt like scoffing, of all things. James Potter, fancy me? He enjoyed chasing me around because I was the only one that didn't swoon over the git. I was simply entertainment, and Severus was an idiot for seeing it any differently. _

_ "And he's not… everyone thinks… big Quidditch hero –" Severus let out, shoulders slumping, yet tense with utter bitterness and dislike. I raised my eyebrows higher and higher with each word; perhaps I was forever annoyed at James Potter and thought he was an idiot, but Severus was bordering on loathing. I thought it stupid that Severus let Potter get to him so much._

_ "I know James Potter is an arrogant toerag," I cut him off. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber's and Avery's idea of humor is just evil. _Evil_, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."_

_ But he was only staring off into the distance, smiling, and I suspected he had been since I'd insulted Potter. "Sev?" I tried._

_ "Hmm?"_

_ I sighed. "Just think about what I said, okay?" _

Mary's voice brought me back to the present. "Lily," she said, her eyes softening at my conflicted expression. "I'm sorry. Okay? I know he's different for you, but to us, well," she sighed. "We don't need this ruining our day. Where were we?"

"Why the Marauders are gits," Alice piped up.

"Oh, right," said Mary. "Look, it's a new year. Let's give them all a new chance! Perhaps they've changed-"

"Yes, I could see that from the 'P.S.'," I muttered.

"-and I'd really like to see at least Remus and Peter," she finished forcefully. "They've never done us any wrong, have they?"

"Well, Peter is a little lemming, and that's irritating," I offered.

"Lily," Marlene sighed, twirling a quill between her fingers and resuming her before reading position, "now you're just trying to find negatives. Let's just do it and see how it goes."

The all looked at me, and even Alice looked hopeful. After a few moments, I couldn't help the stares anymore, and burst, "Fine! Fine! But if Potter starts acting like… Potter, again, I'm out. Got that?"

Cue squeal from Mary, whoop from Alice, and simple grin from Marlene as she again picked up her book. Cue a regretful groan from me as I pictured all the chaos that could be caused by four Marauders set loose in Diagon Alley.

* * *

**Hello dumplings,**

**Okay... So! What do ya think? Please review - flame for all I care; just say something! I love hearing your guys' comments!**

**I know in my other AN on my PJatO, I'd said that I wouldn't be able to update this for a while, but I just managed to do this last night! Yay!**

**But now I do mean it - Exams coming up, can't write 'till maybe Friday. **

**I did say that I might start at fourth year, but fifth year sounded more fun, and I'll be giving a few references to what happened in fourth year anyway. **

**Hope you're enjoying, and mischief managed,**

**~LoneStorm**


	7. Chapter 6

Diagon Alley was bustling with as much activity as ever, laughter and children's excited shouting echoing down the cobblestone pathways along the shops. Marlene was already hungrily eyeing Flourish and Blotts while Alice made us all stop so that she could stare dreamily at the new Nimbus 900 in the window of a Quidditch shop. But it was Mary that kept tugging us along to the ice cream parlor in her eagerness to see Remus, and I who weighted us back in my dread of seeing James Potter.

That was why, when we finally caught sight of the boys lounging at a large table they'd saved, I hung behind the others, hoping my annoyingly red hair would help me blend into the red brick behind me.

They had all gotten taller, as we had, and their hair had grown out, with the exception of Peter, whose hair was short and, well, rather dorky as always. Remus was paler, sporting a few new scars on his face, but with brown eyes as bright and kind as ever.

Sirius was ridiculously handsome as always, still with that easy, elegant grace that caused a block in the street with teenage witches stopping to take a look at him. Of course, they were also gaping at Potter, with his windswept hair and gorgeous face. I had no problem admitting that they were good-looking; I just didn't care.

I noticed that Potter had started wearing rectangular-shaped glasses, which probably should have made him look more mature, but that was clearly unachievable. My observational statement was proved when he saw us and wolf-whistled.

"That's it," I said, turning back around. "I'm out."

Mary grabbed my sleeve. "He hasn't even said anything yet!"

"He didn't need to," I said, miserably letting myself be led over to a chair, thankfully far from Potter.

"Please, Lily," Mary whispered. "Please."

"Okay," I sighed. Managing a smile, I said, "Hello, Remus. Peter."

"Hello, Lily; good to see you," he answered, Peter murmuring a quiet greeting as well.

The other girls said hello to those two as well, until Sirius gave a dramatic sigh, "I am beginning to get a strange feeling that I've never had before. It must be like what Slytherins often feel… hmm… maybe… the feeling of being unloved? Not adored? And by females too…"

"It  
seems as if you've been in denial for a great portion of your regretful existence, Black," I informed him gravely.

He let out a bark-like laugh, and Potter grinned, saying, "I missed you, Evans. Why didn't you write me back?"

"You need all the reasons why I didn't write you back?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Get a life, maybe fifty, and then maybe I'll have enough time to tell you all of them."

"Lily," Mary sighed while Potter grinned on still.

I breathed out, deciding to go back to ignoring Potter completely. Remus simply began with, as if I hadn't just insulted his best friends, "So, you're the prefect, Lily?"

"As are you," I said, smiling.

"Just as we all expected," Mary added.

Remus flushed while Sirius batted his eyelashes and said in a much too high imitation of Mary, "Oh, and Remus, darling, it's so lovely that you're a prefect, because now you can use the prefects' bathrooms and I hear there's a really big bathtub in there, so maybe we could- OW!" He stopped and glared at Remus, rubbing his ankle that had just been kicked. Potter only roared up in laughter.

I sent a pointed look at Mary, a look that said, _What in Merlin's name did I tell you?!_ But Mary, still very red-faced, ignored it. Alice was rolling her eyes, but Marlene was holding a book over her face so that we didn't see her smile and how she was trying very hard not to laugh. This did not go unnoticed by Sirus, who lightly reached over and plucked the book from her hands.

Rule number one and only rule you'll ever need around Marlene: no one touches the books, whether you're a pretty boy or not, book touching is forbidden. It is a one way trip to Azkaban, or being held upside down until you promise exactly 100 times never to do it again. (cough, Alice, cough)

"Hey!" she cried indignantly, standing up as he frowned at it, turning it all directions.

"Well, this certainly doesn't look as interesting as my midnight black hair or eyes like a storm over beautiful raging sea," he scoffed.

"Accio!" I said firmly, grabbing her book from the air and handing to Marlene, waiting for the usual attack-person-that-put-their-dirt-paws-on-my-book treatment, but to my surprise, she simply sat calmly down. _Is there no sense left in the world?_ I thought completely bewildered.

"I take it you saw my greeting in Remus' letter, Marlene, dear?" Sirius, queried.

"G-greeting?" Marlene stammered, glancing at me accusingly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at me. "Keeping my undying love for your friend repressed, Honeysuckle?"

"Every portion of your existence is undying, Black, which is our problem," I shot back. "Look, can we just get some ice cream? I'll pay extra for Potter and Black's if it means their mouths would be occupied with something other than talking."

Potter sat up. "You can keep my mouth occupied in ways other than ice cream, if you want me to be quiet, Evans-"

"Right!" said Remus loudly over James, him and Mary putting hands on my wrists to keep them from wrapping around Potter's stupid neck. "Sounds great, Lily!" He waved over the waiter.

To my bliss, there was silence for a full ten minutes, the time it took all of us to finish our treat, and then it was Alice who spoke first. "I wanted to go ogle at the new Nimbus 900 a bit more; anyone want to join me?"

"I'm there," Sirius said instantly.

"I'll go if Evans is going!" James said cheerily.

"I'm going anywhere Potter isn't." I shrugged.

"I'm going to the book store," Marlene said quietly.

"Changed my mind," Sirius announced. "Books sound nice."

Remus and I shared a look of exasperation. In the end, we all just went to the bookstore to pick up our Hogwarts books, and to make sure Marlene didn't spend her entire fortune on fiction novels. Then we headed off to fight the larger battle of dragging the three Quidditch fanatics away from the brooms. Surprisingly, the trip didn't seem too bad until we passed Magical Menagerie.

"Prongs," Sirius whispered, and I stared, wondering why he was discussing prongs with James. It soon became apparent that 'prongs' was a strange new nickname when he continued, "Check this out."

And when James Potter and Sirius Black get the dickens in their eyes in the form of a bright twinkle, you know that it's time to find shelter, because hell is about to break loose and it will swallow you whole if you get too close.

Before I could give the girls a warning, Sirius flicked his wand. With that, every cage in the Magical Menagerie burst open and out flooded the contents of Noah's magical Ark. People screamed as cats happily jumped on heads and tore up any fabric in sight. Rats pooled the streets and scurried off to find any source of food, and owls and other birds flew out in a cloud, droppings falling freely everywhere, including Peter's head. (That boy has the worst of luck.) Toads hopped underfoot, making witches and wizards trip in attempt not to step on them, and bats squealed loudly and blinded people with the blackness that their swarm created.

The boys all laughed and my friends yelled out in surprise, ducking and running with the Marauders to get out of sight. We tore through bats and rats and owls, James whooping in joy and transforming a particularly fat cat into a tiger. I quickly conjured chains to hold it down so that it wouldn't maul people, only roar at them and make people shriek in terror.

I don't know how the boys dragged us to the Leaky Cauldron through the mess and pushed through the entrance into the Muggle world, but when they did, while they laughed, the girls and I shared a heavy and ticked off look. An understanding went through us all, and together, we began to punch every inch of the boys that we could find.

* * *

**Well, long time, no see, dumplings!**

**Anyone like the chapter? If you do, feel free to leave at least one word in that little review box down there. Just one? Please? I love you all...**

**Soooo sorry! Sibling's graduation party, cousins, summer school, hecticness... Yeah, it's been a while, and yeah, LoneStorm making more excuses... But here's this for all you lovely readers out there as a thank you.**

**And special thanks to my reviewers and some love:**

**Angel charbon: I love you.**

** . : It will be very happy writing now that you've reviewed. :D**

**Chili99: I could never thank you enough for all your reviews and it is your luck on my exams that made me pass, I'm sure. :) Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank yooooouuuu! **

**harleyquinn2112: Thank you! I was hoping people didn't hate the first years and you're awesome...**

**percabethalways: I love how you offered ideas, and I'm going to use them. It makes me feel good about meself... not too good, 'cause that's called conceited, but good enough to keep writing. :)**

**RainCentaur11122: I never did thank you for that first review. It got me so excited. :)**

**Guest: Never did thank you for the second, nomad. :) I get really happy when people that don't have an account read my stuff and think it's worth their time to review, so thank you. :D**


	8. Chapter 7

Petunia had managed to slip out of accompanying me to King's Cross station by saying that she needed to support her whale of a boyfriend while his sister was on her deathbed, though when we dropped her off at his house, there Marge was, fat and revolting as ever, hugging boney Petunia so that I was sure she would snap in half. And here I was, thinking that I wanted to tell her that I wanted to write during the school year, that I didn't want to be so distant anymore.

I sighed, pushing my trolley along beside Mary and Alice. No one can be forced to love.

Together, my friends, parents and I ran straight into the brick for the fifth time, and saw the steam train waiting patiently for its children. At least the train could still make me smile.

"Git alert," Alice warned from my left, and I looked up to see that Potter had spotted me, hazel eyes behind glasses brightening as he pushed back his black hair, and was making his way over.

"Oh, not now," I whispered, almost terrified when I glanced up at my parents.

We tried to hurry along faster for my sake, but my parents slowed us down, as they still loved to drink everything in. Soon, Potter was in front of me, and I considered ramming my trolley right into his gut. Perhaps that would knock that stupid grin off of his face. "All right, Evans?"

"I was a few seconds ago," I muttered, attempting to maneuver around him.

"Then you saw me, and were more than all right," James finished, sliding over to block me again.

Before I could counter, my mother noticed Potter and smiled. "Who is this, Lily?" She saw his gold and scarlet tie, loosely hanging around the collar of his yet untucked shirt. "One of your Gryffindor friends?"

"Oh, this?" I said, shooting him a dirty '_I'll shank you later'_ look, "Mother, meet my arch-nemesis, James 'I-think-I'm-the-gift-to-man-and-womankind' Potter."

While Mum blinked at me, astonished, James only grinned wider. "'My arch-nemesis? At least I'm a 'my' something to you, Evans. By the end of this year, it will be 'my boyfriend'."

I scowled. "In your nightmares, Potter."

"_Lily_!" my mother gasped.

"That's alright, Mrs. Evans," James said politely. "We like to joke around like this, but our relationship has been a bit tense, as of late. You see, someday, Lillikins here will be my wife, and we're currently arguing about the name of our first child-"

"_Silencio!"_ I said firmly, pointing my wand directly at the bridge of his glasses. While my parents stared at me, I gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Right! Let's move on, then…"

As it turned out, Potter had the nerve to follow me still, silently striding along beside Mary, who was loyally ignoring his existence. My mother whispered from behind me, "Lily, why are you being so rude-"

"If you knew Potter, mum," I said stiffly, "you would see just how wonderful I'm being to him."

James' voice returned. "Yes. You see, she lets me look at her."

I sped up, making sure to lose him in the crowd.

We managed to say goodbye to my parents and get onto the train without running into one of the Mauraders again, and pushed our trunks up onto the racks in the compartment that we found.

"Right," I said nervously, straightening my shirt. "I need to go to the prefects' carriage…" I grimaced at my friends. "I'll hope not to stay too long. When I come back, I can slaughter you all at Exploding Snap, deal?"

"Don't count your owls before they're delivered," Alice warned with a grin.

Returning it, I then slid open the door and left.

I walked quickly, peering into each compartment not only to make sure I knew where the prefects' one was, but I was looking for someone else. Sure enough, just as I neared the end, I spotted a tall, thin boy with longer dark hair and a silver and green tie. He turned when he heard my footsteps, and a shy smile appeared on his face.

"Severus!" I said, jogging up and hugging him tightly. But I let go quick; he wasn't too comfortable with hugs.

"Hello, Lily," he said, leaning his trunk up against the door. His eyes flicked down to my badge. "Prefect? Nice one."

"Thanks." I grinned widely. "I wish I could have seen you more this summer."

"Me too," was all he said.

"Severus?" came a silky voice from the compartment beside us. "Who are you talking to?"

"Uh…"  
To my horror, from the compartment came looked two dark, heavily lidded eyes that belonged to the monster of a seventh-year, Bellatrix Black, Sirius' mental cousin. I preferred even him over her.

She turned her wrinkled nose up to me in disgust. Bellatrix may have been considered pretty if she didn't always wear a superior expression to each person that happened to pass within the air that she had reserved for herself.

"I was merely checking to see what the horrid scent out here was. Something like… Mud?" she sneered, standing in the corridor.

"You can surely do better than that, Trixy," said a pleasant, somehow bordering on deadly voice from behind me, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned to see Sirius staring down his cousin, and Remus calmly squeezing my shoulder. When I looked to Severus, he only looked uneasy, and was avoiding my gaze.

Bellatrix practically hissed. "Sirius. I should have expected you to be the one lingering around Mudbloods and filth…"

"Yeah, you should have, Bellatrix," he said firmly.

Bellatrix only laughed. "No wonder your own mother is ashamed to admit that she gave birth to such a failure-"

Sirus blanched and snarled. Remus' hand flew to his wand, but I had already stepped forward, completely forgetting that I had a wand, and slapped Bellatrix with all my force across the face with a deafening _SMACK!_

She stumbled backward, and everyone seemed to freeze, staring at me with open mouths. I burst out in a white rage, "How dare you say something like that to him?! He's your cousin, and anyone should be proud that he stands up for what is right despite what disgusting people like you try to tell him to believe! He's twenty times the person you'll ever be, and you can have twenty points off of Slytherin for that!"

"L-L-_Lily_," Sirius stammered, and Severus only looked back and forth from me to his fellow Slytherin with her cheek reddening in the shape of a hand.

"Come on, Remus, Sirius; let's leave her to be jealous that she'll always be far less-intelligent than her younger cousin," I mumbled, snatching their sleeves and pushing past the Slytherins towards the prefects' carriage.

We stopped when we got far and saw that Bellatrix and Severus had returned to their compartment. For a moment, we all just stared at each other. Then, at once, we all bent over and began to laugh hysterically.

After a full minute of this, while Remus wiped tears away, Sirius rushed forward and embraced me, laughing out, "That was amazing, Honeysuckle!" He kissed both of my cheeks, and then did a happy dance. "I love you! If Prongs didn't have dibs on you, I would marry you right now!"

I winced, wondering what dibs even meant. "Then I'll be sure to never do it again."

But he just laughed harder, and Remus finally cleared his throat. "We should really be going to the prefects' carriage. We'll be late."

I nodded, but I couldn't keep the smile off of my face. "Alright. Let's go, then. Take care, Black."

Sirius waved, already turning around. "I'm going to tell James, and he'll be worshipping you!"

I stopped, whipping out my wand. "_Silencio_!"

* * *

**~PLEASE READ~**

**Good evening (or whatever) fireflies!**

**Little chapter today, but I just wanted to put out something other than just an A/N. I guess I just wanted to tell you guys that this story is going to be slower in the making from now on. **

**I really need to think it over more, because I want it to be better. I'm not liking it as much as I wanted to right now, so I may put it on hold for a while or bring out chapters rather slowly. **

**My PJatO chapters on my other stories will be moving along faster, because I have that more planned out and it seems to be flowing fine. This one needs some work.**

**Well, that's all, and thank you to anyone that reads. Extra thank you to **** . ****, my lovely reviewer. :) Wrote this one for you.**

**When I checked the 'James saving Severus' incident online, it said it happened in sixth year, but I put it in fourth. Why? Well, in sixth, Lily wasn't friends with him, and in the Pensive, she had discussed it with him as if they were. Secondly, the Pensive memories were shown in consecutive order, so the rescue happened before sixth year. It only makes sense, so I don't know why the internet lists it as sixth...**

**Oh, and on a funny note, I was checking out the Black family tree to be sure, because some people say that Tonks is Sirius' cousin and others say that her mother was, so I checked it. That family tree is soooo gross. Everyone married their cousin. Siriusly. And James' mother is the sister of Sirius' grandmother, which makes Harry... I don't know, but it's REALLY messed up.**

**Okay! That's all, peeps. I'm out.**

**Live long and prosper,**

**~LoneStorm**


End file.
